Halo 3 - see it now!

[Xbox 360] Watch the movie that rocked Microsoft's conference

Wednesday 10 May 2006 While everyone was expecting Microsoft to announce Halo 3 at its E3 press conference, it was still a beautiful, shiver-down-the-spine moment when the lights dimmed and the first footage confirmed that Master Chief was returning. And now you can relive that euphoric moment from the comfort of your own home/office chair by clicking the link above and downloading the trailer.

You won't know this by watching, but the scene takes place in the African desert, about a third of the way through the game. The three-mile-wide structure that opens up is actually a weapon built by the Forerunners - the race that constructs the Halos. It's now poised to annihilate the Earth. Amidst this grisly image, Master Chief appears, as the voice of digital-vixen Cortana lays out this happy message:

"I define gods and devils. I am your shield. I am your sword. I know you - your past, your future. This is the way the world ends."

Halo 3 will finish the ongoing story that began in 2001 on the original Xbox. As it's dealing with the end of civilization, this game will pack more despair and darkness than the previous titles.

Above: Halo on the Xbox 360 - it's the news that everyone wanted to hear from E3